Description
A 'homemade distilled liquor' traditionally made in rural Nepal or Newari homes in the Kathmandu Valley. Made from rice, millet, or barley, fermented with homemade koji (yeast) called 'Marcha', then distilled in unglazed clay pots or copper stills. Colorless and transparent, tasting clear like JP shochu or vodka, but very high ABV (30-50%+).
Restaurants serving Raksi (Nepali Traditional Liquor)
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Rice (or Finger millet
- Barley)
- Yeast(Marcha)
- Water
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- [Ferment]: Mix cooked rice (or millet) with crushed 'Marcha' (Nepali yeast balls mixed with herbs), ferment in a crock for weeks into 'unfiltered beer (Chhaang)'.
- [Distill]: Put fermented liquid in a special 3-tier clay pot (or copper still), light a fire below, cool at the top to collect alcohol droplets (this handmade still determines Raksi's flavor).
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
None(Faint sweet aroma of rice/millet from fermentation)
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Substitute with JP 'Rice Shochu (high ABV)', 'Awamori', or 'Vodka'
Pairing
Choila (Spicy grilled meat) / Bhutan (Offal stir-fry) / Pangra(Gizzard)
Trivia
ABV varies as it's homemade, but some are so strong (50%+) they burn with a blue flame if lit. This intense alcohol instantly washes away the flavors of greasy, ultra-spicy Newari snacks like Choila or Bhutan.
Eating tips & etiquette
At Newari banquets (Bhoj), Raksi is poured into tiny unglazed clay dishes (Sal). The pourer pouring it like a thin waterfall from a high position without spilling a single drop is the performance of 'supreme hospitality'.
Allergen
None